Chief of Staff to the Vice-Chancellor & President

• Lead the Office of the Vice-Chancellor Portfolio and provide trusted strategic counsel to RMIT’s Vice-Chancellor and President.

• Shape executive decision-making, governance, administration and compliance across a global university of technology, design and enterprise.

• Full-time, continuing executive appointment, based at RMIT’s Melbourne CBD campus with hybrid ways of working.

This is a significant executive leadership opportunity at the centre of RMIT University.

Reporting directly to the Vice-Chancellor and President, the Chief of Staff acts as a trusted advisor, strategic partner and principal operating leader for the Office of the Vice-Chancellor Portfolio. The role provides high-level counsel on institutional priorities, executive decision-making, stakeholder engagement and the effective delivery of initiatives that advance RMIT’s strategy, Knowledge with Action.

The position leads a broad and important portfolio including the Vice-Chancellor’s executive support function, the University Secretariat, academic administration and education compliance. It requires a leader who can combine strategic judgement, discretion, governance discipline, and operational follow-through in a complex, global university environment.

Operating across the full scope of RMIT’s activities, the Chief of Staff works closely with the University Executive, Council and Secretariat colleagues, academic and professional leaders, government, sector bodies and external partners. The successful candidate will help create the operating rhythm, decision architecture and disciplined follow-up required for an ambitious university to move with clarity, integrity and impact.

• Provide confidential, strategic and timely advice to the Vice-Chancellor and President on critical institutional matters, executive accountabilities and emerging issues.

• Lead the Office of the Vice-Chancellor portfolio, building a high-performing, values-led team focused on service excellence, collaboration and disciplined execution.

• Strengthen the operating rhythm and cadence of the Vice-Chancellor’s Executive, ensuring decision-making is well framed, evidence informed and aligned to RMIT’s strategic cycle.

• Provide executive oversight of academic administration, policy, governance and education compliance frameworks, ensuring alignment with legislative, regulatory and quality expectations.

• Act as a principal liaison between the Vice-Chancellor and senior internal and external stakeholders, including University leaders, government, industry, community and sector partners.

• Lead and oversee high-priority projects and cross-functional initiatives on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, ensuring clear ownership, implementation discipline and measurable outcomes.

• Ensure the Vice-Chancellor is supported with high-quality briefings, presentations, speeches, reports and follow-up actions for major internal and external engagements.

• Work with strategy, public policy, governance and communications colleagues to provide insight on sector trends, risks, opportunities and institutional priorities.

• Represent the Vice-Chancellor in agreed forums and manage sensitive, complex and high-value engagements with judgement, credibility and discretion.

• A strong record of operating effectively and with impact at senior executive level in complex, high-stakes environments.

• Experience in higher education, government, public policy, professional services or another complex, regulated environment; higher education experience will be highly regarded.

• Outstanding judgement, discretion and political acuity, with the capacity to act as a trusted advisor to a Vice-Chancellor, Chief Executive, Secretary, Board Chair or comparable senior leader.

• Strong understanding of governance, regulatory and compliance settings, ideally including university governance, academic administration, education quality or policy frameworks.

• The ability to build trusted relationships and influence across senior leaders, institutional partners, government, sector bodies and external stakeholders.

• Exceptional analytical, organisational and problem-solving capability, including the ability to synthesise complex information and translate it into clear advice, action and follow-through.

• Excellent written communication skills, including the preparation of complex papers, briefings, reports and presentations for senior executive and governance audiences.

• Demonstrated experience leading small, high-performing teams and building a collaborative, service-oriented and accountable culture.

• A track record of delivering concrete outcomes through disciplined implementation, cross-functional coordination and continuous improvement.

• A leadership style aligned to RMIT’s values, with the maturity to be open, inclusive and empowering while setting clear expectations and promoting mutual accountability.

Please note: Appointment to this position is subject to passing a Working with Children Check and other checks as required by the specific role.

The Office of the Vice-Chancellor Portfolio delivers executive and advisory support to the Vice-Chancellor while engaging with a diverse array of stakeholders. This includes facilitating the Vice-Chancellor's interactions with the university community and external partners, overseeing executive administration and University Secretariat, managing communications, coordinating events, and providing additional support services.

The Portfolio also facilitates and advises on the 'rhythm of the business' to enhance the flow of ideas and actions throughout the University, including providing guidance and secretariat support for the Vice-Chancellor's Executive.

Please submit a maximum five-page CV and maximum two-page covering letter addressing your interest and suitability for this position by clicking the ‘Apply’ link at the top of this page.

For further information about this position, please see the Position Description hyperlinked below or contact Bianca Jenkins via email [email protected] for a confidential discussion.

Please note, if you are viewing this advert from an external site, please click ‘apply’ and you will be redirected to RMIT's Jobs website to access the Position Description at the bottom of the page. Due to recent upgrades, position description links may not work on LinkedIn advertisements.

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RMIT is an equal opportunity employer committed to being a child safe organisation. We are dedicated to attracting, retaining and developing our people regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability and age. Applications are encouraged from all sectors of the community, and we strongly encourage applications from the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community. 

In line with RMIT University’s commitment to a safe, respectful and inclusive environment, from 1 January 2026, the University will also consider gender-based violence (GBV) risk factors as part of our recruitment processes.  All applicants will be required to complete a gender‑based violence declaration in accordance with the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence.  Preferred candidates will also be required to undertake relevant pre‑employment background checks, including Working With Children Checks. Information provided will be treated confidentially and considered only for its relevance to the role and RMIT’s safety obligations.

At RMIT, we are committed to supporting adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, as well as during employment. We actively support and encourage people with disability to apply to RMIT (including alternate formats of application forms). To discuss adjustment requirements, please contact Dani, via [email protected] or visit our Careers page for more contact information - https://www.rmit.edu.au/careers.

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